Corner-fastener for bedsteads.



No. 725,330; PATBNTED APR.14,1903. .W. s. FOSTER.

CORNER FASTENE R FOR B-BDSTEADS. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902.

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NITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. FOSTER, OF UTICA, NEWYORK;

CORNER-FASTEN ER FORE BEDSTEADS.

, SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent at. raaeeol aatealn rn 14,1903.

Application filed June 26 1902.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. FOSTER, of

Utica, in the county of Oneida and Stateof New York, have invented certain 1 new and useful Improvements in Corner-Fasteners for- Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains' to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form part of this specificationv The object of my invention is to provide a corner-fastener for bedsteads of the so-called dovetailed form of construction in which the dovetailed member is made somewhat elastic or yielding, whereby breakage is lob-f viated both in the rail and frame lmembers.

and a better joint secured between the parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a'persped tive view of the rail member of a dovetailed fastener embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of;

the post or bedstead member. Fig. 3 is avertical section of the post and rail members when assembled"; Fig. 4: is a horizontal section taken on line C D of Fig. 3 of the rail and post members assembled. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modified form of construetion. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of stilLanother modi'fied form of construction. Fig. 8 is a section of the railand post members assems bled of the form of construction shown in Fig. 7 and taken on a line corresponding with, E F of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 shows amo'dified form of construction providing for the reversal of the side rail. taken on line with E F of the post member and the rail member of themodified form of I constructionshown in Fig. 9.

Referring to thereferenceletters and figures in a more particular description, 1 indicates the rail member,-and 2 the post member, of the bed-fastener. The post member is of the ordinary form of construction, having a tapering dovetailed recess 2* of the usual rounded form. The tenon portion 1 of the rail member is provided with an opening 3,

Fig. 10 shows across-section Serial No. 113,243. (No model.)

extending vertically through the" same, together with a slit4, forming the dovetailed member, with two springing or yielding portions a a. When inserted in the socket 2,

the part 1 can be driven or forced down and itwill spring at one end or both ends or Throughout its length, so as to provide a firm and complete joint between the rail and post members of the fastener.v The fasteners 2 are as usually constructed what are known as chills-and of hard brittle metal quite liable to break. When a slotted dovetailed tenon similar to l is employed and driven into'the socket 2 in an attempt to form a rigid connection, the parts 2 are very frequently split open or broken. The elasticity of the tenon l is such as to obviatethis breaking largely or entirely.

In some cases the opening 3-may be objectionable, particularly on account of its appearance, and to obviate this objection the dovetailed tenon may be somewhat shorter thanthat shown in Fig. 1 and like that shown at l in Fig. 5, and a cap-plate 5 will then be provided extending from the fastener outwardly over the end of thedovetailed tenon 1'. The cap portion 5 would preferably be small enough so as not to engage in the upper end .of the socket 2, and hence it would take no part in forming the connectiombut simply serve to obviate the objection as to appearance. The open upper end of the opening 3 can also to a large extent be obviated by the construction shown in Fig. 7, in which the upper end of the dovetailed tenon 1 is provided with the inwardly-turned flanges a; 0:.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 a double-ended dovetailed tenon. 1" is shown, which may be inserted in the socket 2 of the post member, either side up, whereby the rail becomes reversible. This tenon is provided with an opening 3 extending through it, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, and a slit 4, extending the whole length, so that the tenon is'elastic or yielding, as before described. Of course when the rail and base members are assembled the fastening is made in the lower portion of each only, but it is sufficient and has the advantage of the reversible feature.

Othermodifications and changes from those herein indicated may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a rail-fixture having a projecting tenon portion with an enlarged tapering elastic outer end connected With the body by a solid neck and a post-fixture having an unyielding socket to receive said tenon portion, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rail-fixture having the projecting tenon portion with an enlarged tapering substantially circular elastic outer end connected with the body by a solid neck and a post-fixtn re having an unyielding socket to receive said tenon portion, substantially as set forth.

The combination of a rail-fixture having a projecting tenon portion with an enlarged and oppositely-tapered elastic outer end connected with the body by a solid neck and a 

